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India Today
16 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Is Bengal headed for voter roll revision? A tell-tale sign on the ground
The Election Commission (EC) has uploaded electoral rolls from its last major Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal in 2002, marking a possible precursor to a fresh such process ahead of the assembly elections in the state next far, PDF downloads of electoral data are accessible for 103 of the 294 assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts—Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, Medinipur and Bankura; rolls from the remaining 191 constituencies are expected to be uploaded in the days to 2002 SIR rolls have been uploaded on the website of the chief electoral officer of West Bengal. Their release is being interpreted as groundwork for a fresh SIR, wherein citizens will be scrutinised based on that list. The last SIR in Bengal was conducted during Left Front rule. With delimitation in 2008 having restructured constituencies and polling booths, individuals must now trace which constituency and booth they belonged to back in 2002 in order to locate their names or their parents' enrolment minister Mamata Banerjee has warned that genuine voters risk being excluded under a process she equates with discrimination and unfair targeting. On July 28, she stated: 'We won't tolerate this in Bengal. The double-engine government is behind this conspiracy.' 'No one will have their names in the voters' list, despite having Aadhaar, EPICs (voter cards) and PAN... The list is decided from Gujarat. I love Gujaratis, but some agency in Gujarat is working as the BJP's agency,' she also expressed dismay over reports that around 1,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) from Bengal had been sent to New Delhi for training under the EC's directive—without state government knowledge. 'Why were we not aware of that training? The chief secretary should have been informed,' she said during an administrative meeting with district magistrates. 'Please inform the chief secretary and us. You are making decisions on your own,' she added chief electoral officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal clarified the position. 'If SIR takes place, the training will equip BLOs to carry out their responsibilities effectively. However, the decision rests entirely with the EC. SIR may take place in the future. BLO training is a regular activity of the EC, and SIR, like many other aspects, is in our training syllabus,' he training of BLOs has continued within the state from July 24 to 28, with around 900 officers undergoing induction at Kolkata's Mahajati Sadan, and others in districts including Malda, East Burdwan, Midnapore and Jalpaiguri. The office of the chief electoral officer has also summoned assistant returning officers from Moyna, Baruipur and Rajarhat to explain alleged inconsistencies and presence of fake voters in the SIR is a constitutional mechanism allowing the EC to conduct door-to-door enumeration at any time, with the aim of rebuilding the electoral rolls from the ground up—without reliance on the existing list—in a time-bound process. Similar exercises have been conducted in various states since the early 1950s. The SIR in Bihar, in the run-up to assembly polls this year, has blown up into a political SIR typically requires submission of new enumeration forms by all registered voters, along with documentary proof of date and place of birth for those enrolled after the prior SIR cut-off—often extended to include parents' voter IDs and birth certifications to establish Bengal's context, those registered before or during the 2002 SIR may not need modern documentation; later enrollees likely will. Given the substantial demographic change—Bengal's electorate has grown from 47 million in 2004 to around 76 million by early 2025—the EC will be expected to balance inclusivity with Congress (TMC) MP Sushmita Dev has argued that the current exercise exceeds the EC's mandate and encroaches upon citizenship verification, which is constitutionally the domain of the Union home ministry. Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, have called for a Bihar-style SIR in Bengal, citing fears of illegal infiltration. Adhikari flagged a sudden surge of 70,000 new registrations and urged the exclusion of domicile certificates issued after July 25 in the review caution that burdensome documentation and changes in booth allocation could disenfranchise the elderly, migrants, seasonal labourers and residents of remote areas. Civil society commentators warn that requiring legacy documentation for those enrolled post-2002 may impose an undue hurdle, especially when the EC lacks statutory authority for citizenship the other hand, proponents argue that SIR helps cleanse electoral rolls of ineligible or duplicate registrations, safeguarding democratic legitimacy. The EC itself insists that the process is routine and anchored in citizens, locating their name in the uploaded SIR roll is now the first step. Once the list is fully online, individuals must identify their 2002 constituency and booth—information often irretrievable without local knowledge or family memory—so they can match names before the SIR scrutinises eligibility Bengal gears up for a comprehensive voter enumeration process, both the EC and political camps in the state face mounting pressure: the EC to deliver a transparent, inclusive SIR; the TMC to guard voters against unfair exclusion; and the BJP to push for rigorous cleansing of electoral lists. On way to the battle of 2026, all eyes are now on the uploads, hearings and final shape of Bengal's voter to India Today Magazine- Ends
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Why idea of free-fair polls in Bengal is ghorar dim
"Ghhorar dim", as the Bangla phrase, which means "a horse's egg" goes, captures the absurdity of the idea of free and fair elections in West Bengal. Not just reported large-scale immigration and the shadow of political violence, an election machinery, which is allegedly far from independent, makes the idea of a fair franchise a pipe dream. As ghorar dim, the idea of fair elections here remains a an administrative meeting last week, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reminded block-level officers (BLOs) that they were state government employees. This is important because the BLOs are key to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that is expected to begin in Bengal West Bengal is the only state where the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office operates under the state's Home and Hill Affairs Department, without functional freedom. The state has seen an influx of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, leading to demographic changes in several districts. Retributive political violence, as seen after the last Assembly elections, also cast a cloud over the idea of participatory IMMIGRATION AND SIR IN WEST BENGALEven as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise is underway in Bihar and speculated to begin in poll-bound Bengal next, Mamata Banerjee has openly opposed it, calling it a targeted move against Bengali voters. The Trinamool Congress leader, who has launched a Bhasha Aandolon from Rabindranath Tagore's Sanctuary Bolpur, has asserted that "people from Gujarat were preparing Bengal's [voters'] list".This even as the West Bengal CEO flagged major irregularities during sample checking of voter lists in South and North 24 Parganas, where 127 fictitious voters were allegedly entered by two Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) without BLO verification, reported The Economic Times newspaper on SIR is a legal and essential exercise mandated under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to ensure the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls ahead of major tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends in May 2026, with elections expected to be held earlier next REMINDER TO BLOs ON DUTY STIRS DEBATEA recent reminder by Mamata Banerjee to the BLOs that they are state government employees before and after elections does not offer much hope on an administrative meeting on July 28, Mamata reminded the BLOs, who are officials of the state government, that they work for the Government of West Bengal, not the Election Commission of India (ECI), reported The directed them to ensure that not a single name is removed from the voter's rolls, adding not to "harass" voters by removing names from electoral lists."After the election is announced, it comes under [ECI's] purview. Before that, it is the state government, and again after the elections, it is the state government," she elections, the Election Commission of India relies on government officials, including teachers, state employees and staff from some PSUs like nationalised banks, for conducting polls. The BLOs, who are state government employees, are mandated to assist in updating and verifying voter including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, have argued that Mamata's "intimidatory statement" pressures BLOs to prioritise state loyalty over Election Commission of India (ECI) directives, potentially undermining impartial voter list a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, Adhikari termed the Mamata's appeal as "direct and unwarranted interference", calling it an "attempt to influence the revision of electoral rolls for political motives", reported news agency BENGAL CEO'S OFFICE UNDER STATE CONTROLMoreover, West Bengal is the only state where the CEO office operates under the Home and Hill Affairs department of the state government, the ECI recently CEO's office also lacks financial and administrative week, the ECI directed West Bengal to establish a separate election department to ensure institutional autonomy ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls."The Commission has noted the lack of financial and administrative autonomy available to the CEO, West Bengal, in the existing arrangement, wherein the CEO's office functions with limited financial powers relying on a minor permanent advance from the Finance Department. Further, the CEO's office has been categorised as a subordinate branch of the Home and Hill Affairs Department, which is led by a principal secretary-level officer, whereas the CEO himself is of ACS rank," the Election Commission wrote to the West Bengal Chief Secretary, in a letter dated July 17, reported The Indian Commission also directed the Chief Secretary to declare the CEO's office as an independent one structural and organisational issue, as also flagged by the BJP, raises concerns about the ability to conduct unbiased elections, as the CEO's office remains financially and administratively tethered to the state, potentially compromising its Home, Hill Affairs, and Revenue departments are under CM Mamata state president Samik Bhattacharya claimed that while the ECI aims to make the CEO's office more independent, the state government is resisting the move, "making it clear", he said, "who is trying to control the process", reported the ECI's push for a SIR of electoral rolls, which is speculated to be exercised next in West Bengal, has met resistance from SHIFTS IN BENGAL RAISE RED FLAGSRecent analyses highlight significant demographic changes in West Bengal, particularly in border districts, where the Muslim population has risen disproportionately over the last few decades. Many of the illegal migrants have been found to possess legal documents like the Aadhaar Card and Voter ID has put a question mark about the integrity of elections in the states where non-citizens are like Murshidabad and Malda have seen a notable rise in Muslim populations, with Murshidabad's Muslim share increasing from 63.7% in 2001 to 66.3% in 2011, and Malda from 49.7% to 51.3%.Many fear that the latest data, when released, will reveal even starker shifts, coupled with reports of illegal migration from Bangladesh, have fuelled concerns about voter list leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, have claimed that such changes enable the inclusion of "illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters" in electoral rolls, a charge Mamata Banerjee has dismissed as politically week, Adhikari claimed that a sharp rise of over 70,000 Form-6 applications, along with domicile certificates issued after July 25, aimed at "enroling illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants" signals voter roll 70,000 Form-6 applications have been submitted on average in the last week, a sharp rise from the usual 20,000-25,000, especially in Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, North Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, and North & South 24 Parganas districts," he wrote on conclusion, the idea of free and fair elections in West Bengal remains elusive due to demographic changes, the state government's influence over electoral officers, and structural issues with the state poll body. Now, with the 2026 Vidhan Sabha polls approaching, these factors cast a shadow over the state's electoral integrity, making "ghhorar dim" an apt metaphor for an unattainable ideal.- EndsTune InMust Watch
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Suvendu Adhikari demands action against Mamata Banerjee over booth officers remark
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take suo motu action against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her recent remarks directed at Booth Level Officers (BLOs).Adhikari alleged that Banerjee issued a veiled threat to BLOs during an administrative meeting held in Birbhum on Monday, where she instructed them to ensure that voter names were not arbitrarily removed from the electoral rolls. He claimed her statements interfere with the autonomy of the Election Commission and amount to undue political a letter to the Election Commission, Adhikari stated that Banerjee's remarks were a "direct attack on democracy" and accused her of attempting to influence the electoral process. Posting on his official handle on social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter), Adhikari wrote:'By instructing BLOs to ensure that no names are removed from the Voter List, it is clearly an unauthorised attempt to dilute the voter lists for political gain. This is unacceptable. How can elections be fair if the Chief Minister pressures officials and challenges the ECI's autonomy?'He further added that he has formally urged the Election Commission to take suo motu cognisance of the Chief Minister's statements, which he claims interfere with the duties of BLOs and "undermine the ECI's authority".Mamata Banerjee's assertion that BLOs are merely State Govt Employees and her attempt to intimidate and manipulate the electoral process by instructing BLOs to ensure that no names are removed from the Voter List, is clearly an unauthorized attempt to dilute the Voter Lists for Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 29, 2025Banerjee, while addressing government officials in Birbhum on Monday, stated that BLOs should be cautious not to arbitrarily strike off names from the voter list and reminded them that, "BLOs are state government employees and will have to work under the state government after elections too." Her comments were made in the context of widespread voter list revisions currently BJP sees the remarks as an attempt to influence voter list management and exert pressure on BLOs, who are trained and deputed by the Election Commission for electoral duties.- Ends
Economic Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
ECI's nationwide SIR plan gains steam, BLO & ERO training on across states
The Election Commission of India is preparing to launch a nationwide Special Intensive Revision. This follows a similar exercise in Bihar. Training programs are underway for booth-level officers across states. Chief Electoral Officers are engaging with political parties. The nationwide SIR is expected to begin in mid-August. It will involve house-to-house verification and pre-revision activities. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Even as the ongoing Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is caught in litigation in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has fully activated its machinery over the last few days for a similar SIR launch across the has gathered that the ECI's latest national training programme for booth-level officers (BLOs) and BLO supervisors is focused on SIR and has taken off over the last two weeks. The poll panel's top trainers are fanning out across states to prime up election staff on SIR. Chief electoral officers (CEOs) have also started reaching out to local political party units on SIR. On July 28, the Manipur CEO invited local party units of Imphal East district for a meeting on 'SIR 2026' to discuss revision activities, house-to-house survey and rationalisation of polling stations. A similar meet was held on July 24 with political parties of Kangpokpi July 22, as per a Sikkim government press statement, the Sikkim CEO met with representatives of political parties and top of the agenda was preparatory works being undertaken at the DEO and ERO level for the proposed SIR, especially bringing in an increased number of BLOs to facilitate the intensive next step is expected to be the big one -- full-scale launch of nationwide SIR in mid-August with house-to-house verification and pre-revision activities, as has been indicated to CEOs, ET has was first to report on July 11 of ECI's plans to take SIR nationwide from August. The move is in keeping with the ECI's June 24 announcement of SIR in Bihar where it added that it would initiate the SIR "in the entire country for the discharge of its constitutional mandate to protect the integrity of the electoral rolls " and issue a separate schedule for the CEOs have begun conducting training of BLOs, DEOs and EROs over the last few conducted SIR trainings on July 17, Goa covered Porvorim assembly constituency last week while Arunachal Pradesh did so on July 25. CEO of Andaman & Nicobar Island met all the DEOs, ERO and AEROs on July 17 to discuss the SIR. A July 15 statement by the Ladakh government mentioned the ongoing BLO training that focused on SIR and special summary revision (SSR).A July 17 statement by Nagaland mentioned holding the national level training programme for BLOs where "trainees were imparted training on special intensive revision overview of SIR, verification duties and focus area, using of BLO app, demonstration of login, data entry and submitting report, how to correctly fill forms and evaluation". The Rajasthan CEO on Tuesday put out posts on 'X' on training being conducted on BLO training held last week in West Bengal was part of the same exercise with chief minister Mamata Banerjee raising concerns over it. Electoral rolls of the last intensive revision held in each state -- 2002 to 2005-06 -- are also up across their websites for the training for BLOs is being held in three segments. The first is aimed at educating BLOs on the objectives and procedures of SIR, responsibilities of BLOs, handling of enumeration forms, publication of draft rolls, panel provisions and constitutional guidelines, general duties and conduct of BLOs. The second segment trains BLOs on the use of mobile applications to streamline electoral work, and tools and technologies to improve field third session gives a detailed overview of the voter helpline app (VHA) and its use in electoral assistance.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari accuses CM Mamata Banerjee of threatening BLOs
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Kolkata: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) complaining against West Bengal Chief Minister's indirect threat and intimidation of the BLOs. Meanwhile, West Bengal- Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) made voter lists from the 2002 electoral roll revision available said that 'Mamata Banerjee's assertion that BLOs are merely State Govt Employees and her attempt to intimidate and manipulate the electoral process by instructing BLOs to ensure that no names are removed from the Voter List , is clearly an unauthorized attempt to dilute the Voter Lists for political gain.'Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , during her administrative meeting on Monday, said that the BLOs went for training in Delhi and she was not aware. She also pointed out that BLOs were state government employees and will also remain so after the polls. They should stay alert and keep in mind that not a single voter's name gets deleted during roll revision, if SIR is implemented in Bengal, Banerjee has said.'This is unacceptable. How can elections be fair if the Chief Minister pressures officials and challenges the ECI's autonomy? It is a direct attack on our democracy. I have written to the Election Commissioner of India, urging the ECI to take suo moto cognizance of her remarks that interfere with the duties of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and undermine the ECI's authority,' Adhikari the 2002 voters' list of some districts has been uploaded online on the website of the West Bengal-Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Sources said that the list that has been published on the website of the of the State's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) contains the names of 11 districts — Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda in North Bengal and Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, Medinipur and Bankura in the south.
